STARGOLD, the super stallion ridden by German maestro Marcus Ehning, literally rocked the Al Shaqab Stadium in Doha, as he made little of Tokyo Olympic course designer Uliano Vezzani’s huge track to win the €410,000 Longines Grand Prix at the Commercial Bank CHI Al Shaqab under spotlights for the second successive year.

Ehning, who also claimed Thursday’s 1.50m speed class with Stargold (Stakkato Gold x Lord Weingard) was delighted to succeed yet again on the 10th anniversary of the event. He said Stargold enjoys the sun in Doha. “For the first day he was in very good shape, very fresh, he loves this arena,” he commented. “I thought I won it last year, it’s not possible to do it again and we did so I’m very very proud of him.”

Ehning revealed he will now concentrate on the World Cup Finals in Omaha and the European Championships. Of Doha, he added: “You are only as good as your horse, I think today we had two very fair courses, 14 clears in the first round and seven again in the second. It was a quite forward course, the time allowed was easy, there were no bad rounds, and it was very good for the sport.”

The third round, the seven-horse jump-off, opened with Japan’s super talented Under 25 rider Mike Kawai delivering a stunning clear in 44.98 seconds on Saxo de la Cour (Tlaloc M x Jalisco B). He held the lead as the next four riders - Neils Bruynseels (Delux Van T and L), Christian Kukuk (Nice van’t Zorgvliet), Max Kuhner and the scopey Irish-bred EIC Cooley Jump the Q (Pacino x OBOS Quality) and Phillipp Weishaupt (Coby) - all faulted.

Weishaupt was gutted as Coby’s time of 40.89 seconds would have been good enough for victory. Second last into the arena, Ehning broke the beams in 41.74 seconds with Stargold throwing his usual celebratory buck when crossing the finish line and the spectators went wild.

Seventh and last to go was Frenchman Simon Delestre with the 10-year-old Dexter. Tough as nails and having a real go, another master at work, he produced a brilliant clear in 42.03 seconds to overhaul Kawai for second place.

Kawai was delighted with his effort, commenting: “Of course I am very happy and surprising myself that I am here amongst all these amazing riders. I am happy to compete at this amazing facility.”

Commentator John Kyle revealed Kawai had started his career by seeking out Jan Tops and asking him to “make me the best rider in the world.” Allegedly, Tops didn’t take him on originally but now Kawai is the man to watch at top level and a success story extraordinaire. Kawai added: “I try harder to be better and better, and if you keep going and keep fighting slowly you will get there.”

Delestre was delighted with Dexter: “When I saw Marcus, I knew he was fast, it was so close. I couldn’t take all the risks because my horse is only 10, and especially when you come from a small arena into a big one like this. I have many good young horses coming on, I buy many many young horses so when I retire some there are more coming on like Cayman Jolly Jumper and Dexter.”

Duffy’s new venture

Galway’s Michael Duffy finished just outside the top 10 in 12th place with the 14-year-old grey mare Cinca (Casall x Carthago), owned by a new venture called Hibernian Sporthorses, a group from Galway involved in breeding and jumping. They were clear in the first round to join a stellar line-up of the world’s best in round two, where they came home with eight faults.

His grandfather Paul, who built courses at Spruce Meadows at the million dollar masters and many five-star venues, would have been proud of Michael who takes on the GCT tracks this week and has the measure of Vezzani’s huge tracks.

Duffy explained: “Cinca jumped very well, it was a tough class. I’m not a fan for jumping big classes too early in the year but she was super; in the second round she kicked a back rail out on the third fence, so I thought I would be a faster four- faulter then we hit the last fence.”

Duffy also debuted the 14-year-old mare Che Fantastica who finished fifth in Friday’s 1.55m with a double clear round. With the European Championships in the pipeline later at San Marino, Duffy will be one to watch on the GCT circuit and this week particularly in Doha.

Irish brilliance

Earlier Simon Delestre won two classes with his uber brilliant 10-year-old I Amelusina R (Dexter R x Chin Chin). Not only did they claim the 1.50m five-star speed class to beat Jack Whitaker with Equine America Valmy de la Lande (Mylord Carthago x Starter) with Ireland’s Trevor Breen in fifth on Highland President, they also won Friday’s speed class.

It was a close call with Shane Breen on Haya, who won Thursday’s opening class, being the one to beat. Delestre’s time of 63.52secs. was only a micro fraction faster than Breen’s 63.68 with Denis Lynch slotting into third, going a blistering pace in 64.45 on the grey stallion Cornet’s Iberio (Cornet Obolensky x Charlottenhof’s Iberio). Placed fifth was the former Belfast owned Jack van het Dennehof, ridden by Kamal Abdullah Bahamdan, and originally ridden by Sophie Dalm.

Friday’s 1.55m jump-off class saw a battle between Ireland’s riders from 39 starters in what was one of the best classes of the show. Nine in the jump-off saw Michael Duffy take the lead on Che Fantastica when clear in 42.72, after slower times from Kim Emmen, Marcus Ehning with the Irish Sport Horse DPS Revere, and Niels Bruynseels on Matador, and he eventually finished fifth.

Later, Co Louth’s Mark McAuley delivered a cracking round with the Denis Hickey-bred Irish Sport Horse GRS Lady Amaro (Amaretto Darco x Over The River), which would eventually see him finish second and earn €30,500. Shane Breen slotted into fourth place with Breen Equestrian and Quirke Sporthorses’ Cuick Star Kervec in 41.63.

Christian Kukuk and the magnificent stallion Mumbai (Diamant de Semilly x Nabab de Reve) just beat McAuley by a micro fraction in 41.36.

Reflecting, Mark McAuley said: “I would never think I would have beaten Christian and Mumbai. I felt good about my mare coming out, she was bred by my uncle Denis Hickey and my cousins William and Patrick. Patrick rode her until she was eight; he came to ride with me for a year and brought her with him and won many classes.

“When he was leaving I bought her. I wasn’t sure she would jump this level but I am very happy now she is stepping up. She can jump anything, she is very careful and I won’t jump her in the Grand Prix. We will take her along slowly. In a jump-off you have to beat the ones who are before you, it is up to the ones coming behind to beat you.”

Christian Kukuk is now jumping Mumbai without shoes. “I watched many horses jumping in Geneva without shoes. It’s not for every single horse, at that moment I said there is something I can improve with Mumbai. We are only eight weeks now without shoes but he is jumping very well as we were faster today. I believe it makes the horses lighter in general,” Kukuk said.

Next week: Behind the scenes at CHI Al Shaqab with Ruth Loney.